Dancila: Government I lead has assumed responsibly its obligations in NATO

Bucharest, April 7 /Agerpres/ - The Government of Romania has assumed responsibly its obligations in NATO, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Sunday at a military ceremony organized at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, at the 15th anniversary of Romania's NATO accession and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance. "We have assumed the responsibilities of a security provider in our region and in NATO operations. We have stood out as a predictable and trustworthy ally, as all the stances of our allies have shown. The Romanian Army has participated in peace-keeping and stability-keeping missions in regions such as the Western Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. This year we continue to be among the top five troops-contributing states to the Afghanistan mission. The decisions taken at NATO summits over the last five years have taken into account the voice of Romania, leading to the establishment of an advanced presence in the Black Sea area on land, air and sea, which has increased the security of the entire Alliance," the head of the Government said. The Prime Minister reminded that Romania is the direct beneficiary of strengthening the NATO posture of defense and deterrence on the eastern flank, by supporting the partners of our country in the Eastern neighborhood, namely the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. "We are hosting elements of the anti-missile defense system at Deveselu. We are prepared to cope with the new security challenges and we will continue to be an active contributor to ensuring the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area, and to designing Alliance's values in its neighborhood. (...) The Government that I am leading has responsibly assumed its obligations within NATO. It is already the third year in which Romania allocates 2pct of GDP for defense. We continue the military programs to endow the Army with modern equipment to protect our troops, to meet NATO standards, but also the current security challenges in our area or in the territories where we are participating in joint missions. We continue to remain an important participant in NATO operations to keep peace and stability in various conflict areas," said Dancila. On this occasion, the Prime Minister praised the professionalism and human quality of Romanian troops in operation theatres "who have fully involved in defending and improving the lives of local populations, gaining their respect and friendship." "You are extraordinary ambassadors of the Romanian spirit. We respect you for this and thank you, dear troops of Romania. At the same time, I pay special tribute to the heroism of the servicemen who have sacrificed themselves in the allied operation theatres in the spirit of military honor, reinforcing the prestige of our country as a loyal and trustworthy ally in NATO," concluded Prime Minister Dancila. AGERPRES (RO - author Eusebi Manolache, editor: Catalina Matei; EN - author/editor: Bogdan Gabaroi)